The invention is based on a wiper system for motor vehicles.
The invention is based on a wiper system for motor vehicles as generically defined by the preamble to claim 1.
A windshield wiper of a motor vehicle, during one wiping motion, sweeps over a wiping region on a vehicle window that is bounded by its two turning positions. If the windshield wiper is turned off, it moves into a parked position, which can be the same as one turning position. As a rule, the parked position is located at the lowermost point to the engine hood, so that the windshield wiper rests in a so-called hood gap between the engine hood and the windshield. Not until wiping begins does it become visible and move from the parked position upward as far as the upper turning position, from which it then returns to the lower turning position or to the parked position.
If this principle is employed in synchronized wiper systems, then while the driver""s view is not hindered by the parked windshield wiper, nevertheless the relatively wide hood gaps cause air turbulence, with an unfavorable aerodynamic effect and attendant noise. In contrary-motion wiper systems, moreover, because of their geometry and the swept field to be described, the two windshield wipers often cannot be internested extensively enough in one another in the parked position, so that as a rule they protrude out of the hood gaps and are therefore visible to the driver. If the windshield wipers fail to reach the parked position where they are protected from the wind, the relative wind flows around them, causing increased wind noise.
From German Patent Disclosure DE 44 05 926 A1, a wiper system of this generic type is known in which at least one windshield wiper is placed in the parked position parallel to a lateral boundary of the windshield, the boundary being the so-called A-column. The windshield wiper has a movable wiper arm, which comprises a profile that is open toward the windshield and which partly covers a wiper blade. In the parked position, the wiper arm rests laterally in a niche in the A-column of the vehicle body, and its outer contour is virtually flush with the contour of the boundary column. The wiper blade secured to the wiper arm does not reach as far as the boundary column, however, so that there is an interstice which has an unfavorable effect on the air resistance of the vehicle. Furthermore, the windshield wiper, parked without being covered, causes noise because of the open profile of the wiper blade and because of the gap between the wiper blade and the column.
According to the invention, the wiper arm with the wiper blade in the parked position is disposed between the vehicle window and a cover trim extending spaced apart from it. The cover trim is mounted on a so-called A-column of the vehicle body that at the same time forms a lateral boundary of the windshield. If the parked windshield wiper is below the cover trim, the latter being adapted to the contour of the vehicle body, then on the one hand both air resistance and noise during travel are less, and on the other, the appearance of the vehicle is improved. At the same time, the hood gaps between the engine hood and the windshield can be made narrow, so that once again both aerodynamics and the appearance of the vehicle are improved. A low weight of the cover trim, especially if it is formed by a plastic trim.
Toward the passenger compartment, the windshield wiper is covered by a black coloring on the periphery of the windshield, so that from that position, it cannot be seen by the driver, which again improves the visual appearance.
According to the invention, the wiper blade in the parked position largely closes off the opening between the cover trim and the windshield, so that only in the region between the cover trim and the side of the wiper blade remote from the windshield does a narrow gap remain open. To close this gap, one embodiment of the invention has an additional seal in this region; in the parked position of the windshield wiper, this seal is approximately flush with the cover trim. Such a tight unit between the windshield, windshield wiper and cover trim not only reduces the air resistance but also affords protection from environmental factors; in particular, dirt particles are then deposited on the wiper strip to a far lesser extent.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the seal can be embodied such that at the same time it can take on the function of a spoiler.
In parking the windshield wiper below the cover trim, it is advantageous if the windshield wiper is embodied as flat as possible. This is attained by means of a flat bar wiper blade, of the kind known for instance from German Patent Disclosure DE 197 38 232 A1, and/or by means of a flat leaf spring wiper arm, which is equipped with a flat foldaway unit. Advantageously, these components at the same time also have a substantially lower weight than conventional U-profile wiper arms with a wiper blade and a conventional support bracket system.
The motion of the windshield wiper during the wiping motion is controlled by a reversing motor. Accordingly, from the covered parked position, the windshield wiper moves downward as far as lower turning position and then moves upward again. So that the windshield wiper will not constantly strike against the column of the vehicle body, for the wiping mode an upper turning position is provided, which is located a few degrees before the parked position. The reversing motor can advantageously move to a service position, for instance for the sake of changing the wiper blades. This position is located in the middle region, between the turning positions of the windshield wiper.